Her Memory, His Curse, Their Survival
by Applepineflower
Summary: Lord Voldemort has won and unknowingly separated two people that will lead to his downfall. Both have fallen victim to the ancient curse he cast. Can they cure it? Will they do it in time to stop the evil from continuing? What happens to their hearts?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I am obviously not JKR, therefore I do not own her characters. I also do not own some of the ideas that I borrow from other works. (movies, books, songs, etc.) if you can guess the other references I would be thoroughly impressed!**

**Please enjoy, and give feedback if you see it appropriate! My first fic.**

In a world where the dark side won, there is one man who chose to transform at the last possible moment and for his act of true morality he was cursed with the most complex of cures. Forced to remain in the shadows, he yearns for the joy that may only come with the cure. His name is Draco Vincent Malfoy.

In a world where the dark side has won, there is one woman who risked it all and trusted a man who encompassed a change of heart. For her acts of true righteousness, she has fallen into the most unfortunate of circumstances. Sheltered in her uncertainty, she aches to fulfill the emptiness that is her recent past. Her name is Hermione Catherine Granger.

&&&&

Vanity. One of the words that were associated with him until . . .he would prefer to avoid remembering how he got this way. But staring at his reflection refutes that vanity was ever associated with such a manifestation. Even after three years, it still pains him to claim this appearance as his own.

It appeared as if this horrific mask has fused itself to his formerly handsome self. Skin roughened, eyeteeth elongated, jaw squared, voice haggard, shoulders broadened, nails clawed, ears pointed, fur-coat covered, hair shaggy, all that remained of the Draco persona was his piercing blue eyes. Clouded with the despair of his loneliness, Draco frowned at his current state.

Letting the cloth fall back over the mirror, Draco seated himself upon the rug and stared thoughtfully into the burning fire thinking only of her and where she could be.

&&&&

"Arg! Cat, I'm running late!" moaned Hermione as she scurried around her apartment throwing her work polo over her thin frame, this shirt, a size too big, hung halfway down her paint-splattered jean-covered bum.

"Meowrr," Cat mewed in retort.

"Oh, don't start with me! It is perfectly normal for me to get lost in painting for," checks wall clock, "TWO AND A HALF HOURS! Aw crap crap craaap! I didn't think I was that late!"

The cause for Hermione's distress derives from the fact that she holds three part-time jobs and lives as an aspiring painter and novelist. Her tragedy began two and some years ago when she awoke in the psychiatric ward with a deep gash on the left side of her forehead along her hairline and no distinct memory of her life for the past seven years. All she had were hazy dreams of faces that seemed familiar but had no recollection of who they were. After she became conscious of her situation; she then had to face the fact that both her parents had died three years ago of unknown reasons (unknown to the muggle community of course). And yes, Hermione could not remember that she is a magical witch.

Since Hermione awoke at the age of eighteen, once her gash scarred and she obtained a clean bill of health she was off on her own. Through many trials and errors she attained jobs as a bookstore cashier, golf-cart girl, and change maker girl at the local arcade. It wasn't great but without any knowledge of higher education she couldn't do anything else. She was able to pay the rent for her one room studio apartment these past three years and supply herself with her hobbies' necessities, which often meant a week or so without food, but the older lady next door was always open to dinner guests and leftovers as parting gifts.

&&&&

Rushing, Hermione locked up her bicycle and ran into the bookstore. Jingling the bell on the door, she dodged a leaving customer in her haste to not be any later than she already was.

"You're late Hermione," her boss grumbled in his deep monotone voice.

"I'm so sorry Joe! I just got enveloped in my painting and I …"

"Shush shush! You're lucky I like you young lady or you'd be out of a job," he snickered.

"I promise Joe! I…I'll work overtime! I'll clean the back room! I'll…"

"Calm down Hermione! You're the only employee I've ever had that's patient enough to stand the tedium of this store. Your job isn't in jeopardy."

Hermione grinned at him. "Aww, Joe, you old softy! I'm sooo making you a painting for your birthday!"

"Well I will just have to add it to my collection of Hermione Granger originals or shall I hang it in the shop with the others? Decisions…decisions." They both laughed. Hermione knew that Joe was the sole benefactor for her paintings. That was good enough for her, he truly enjoyed them and that's all that mattered. Her paintings were predictable, just your average scenery or flower, whatever inspired her.

Near closing time Hermione heard Joe speaking to a man who commented on one of her paintings hanging on the wall. Eavesdropping behind a bookcase she heard, "That's an original my man! Created by my own employee! Hermione, stop eavesdropping and come be appreciated!" Joe knew her too well.

"Hello," she spoke shyly. It started to rain outside the front window.

"Well lassie you have quite the talent! How old are you?" The man said whilst looking her up and down.

"Haha, thanks. Umm 21." This guy was creepy.

"I'd love too see more of your work, if you don't mind!" he smiled. That creeper.

"You have plenty at home don't you honey?" Joe interjected. Doesn't he see how uncanny this man seems? Darn his hospitality!

"Umm, I guess..."

"Wonderful! I'd love to see them! I have my car so we can drive to your place without getting soaked."

"Mmmm, kay." She hesitantly agreed. She did hate bicycling in the rain. Maybe he isn't as bad as he appears.

Hermione bid Joe goodbye as painter guy put her bike in the trunk of his car. On the way to her place she found that his name was Hector and that he's been traveling around the world and blah blah blah. Hermione lost interest in listening because she was trying to remember the easiest way to break an attacker's nose, she did manage to mumble at the correct times so he still thought she was listening. When they got to her building, Hermione hastened up the stairs in hopes that this would not be a long visit. After fighting with the temperamental bolt known as her front door lock, she and her _guest_ made it inside. Staring at her art enveloped walls, they chitchatted about her artistic motivation for a while, when all of a sudden Cat leapt out of nowhere and dug his claws into Hector's leg.

"AAAHHH!" Hector bellowed.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" She grabbed Cat and closed him up in the bathroom. He's never harmed even a fly, she didn't even know the cat had claws! "I'll get you a bandage." Hector reclined on her couch while she searched for a bandage in the cupboard.

"What's that little bugger's name anyhow?"

"Ohh, that's Cat."

"Cat? That's its name? Why name it that?"

"Well, I don't think its right for humans to own other beings, he's just a stray that showed up here one day, giving him a name feels like trapping him almost. And what validation do I have for knowing the right name for a creature when I don't even truly know myself?" Hermione mumbled the last sentence whilst grabbing the Gumby and Pokey bandages hidden in the back of a drawer.

"What was that last bit?"

"Oh nothing. I found some." She said holding the bandages aloft.

"Splendid," Hector said and then rolled up his pant leg.

Hermione knelt before his exposed scratches. They were not even deep cuts, the whiner; she'd had paper cuts that bleed more. To appease him anyway, she placed the Gumby and Pokey bandage onto the tiny cut.

Hector lent forward and fondled a lone curl that hand fallen loose from her ponytail. Sharply, she looked at him and inhaled harshly. He further invaded upon her space; she leaned away.

"You know, I bet you could be quite sexy, if you didn't wear such baggy clothes. Huh?"

She was appalled! Was he implying what she thought he was? She became quickly terrified. Trying to scamper away, Hector grabbed at her feet. Kicking him in the face, she ran to the bathroom and let Cat out. Hector crawled after her grasping her pant leg. Cat, oddly enough, rushed out and started clawing Hector's scalp.

Hermione darted towards her front door and threw it open to call for help. Hector chucked Cat against the wall and Cat let out a dismal cry of pain. Watery eyed and full of panic, she turned for Cat finding him slumped in the corner immobile but breathing. At her pant of 'no,' Hector stood seizing her from behind, one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders.

Hermione squirmed like a worm on speed. Freeing one of her arms she pooled all of her strength into her fist and let it loose on his family jewels. Hector released her as he keeled over. At his moment of failing, Hermione shoved him out the door then locked and bolted the door.

Thinking her troubles were finished, Hermione sighed as she leaned against the door. After a couple of minutes, she looked over to check on Cat, he remained as he was before, just as she was about to go to him, Hector got his strength back. His incessant banging on the door scared the shit out of her.

He kept yelling, "Come on baby! We could have so much fun. Open the damn door!" Yeah right, romantics with that creeper would be anything but fun in her opinion. She would probably catch an STD from just sitting to close to the guy.

He wasn't going away. So Hermione snatched a bag and started stuffing her essentials: wallet, umbrella, keys, the book she was reading, and her paints, into it and escaped out the back through the fire escape. She caught a cab that had dropped someone off across the way.

"Where you going toots?" the driver asked.

"I don't care just GO!" she yelled.

"Alright, alright!" After driving out of the city the man asked her, "Left or right lady?"

"Umm…right."

"Okay then."

Right took them into the countryside. When 20 minutes had passed, the driver asked how much cash she had. Hermione had no idea. Checking her wallet, she gave the man her meager amount money. The man scoffed and pulled the cab over.

"What are you doing?"

"Honey, you ran out of cash about ten miles ago. Sorry but I have to ask you to get out now."

"But its pouring rain!"

"Sorry but that's the policy."

"Fine!!"

Hermione got out of the cab onto a vacant street. As the cab sped away, she whipped out her umbrella, only to realize that a third of the covering was missing and all of the threatening spokes were visible. 'Fantastic' she thought as she and her crippled umbrella trekked onwards.

**A/N: You like? Let me know please…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I am obviously not JKR, therefore I do not own her characters. I also do not own some of the ideas that I borrow from other works. (movies, books, songs, etc.) if you can guess the other references I would be thoroughly impressed!**

**Please enjoy, and give feedback if you see it appropriate! My first fic.**

Trudging along a dirt road in the pouring rain is not as fun as it seems. Hermione realized this as mud and water seeped into her shoes and the ends of her jeans. And her poor excuse for an umbrella was more a hindrance than help, since it became insanely windy therefore soaking her from every direction. After walking for ten minuets, Hermione gained some sense and looked in her surrounding area for some coverage, since this "hoofing it" thing was not working!

"Alright then," Hermione talks to herself, "forwards…dirt road, no…backwards….dirt road, well that I knew….right…swamp looking area, not my forte…left…moor, well that's more promising than the swamp, at least sort of."

Going down the slight slope of the road towards the moor, she slipped onto her bum and further enveloped her figure in the sticky mud. "Brilliant, just brilliant, gahh! This entire day has been one form of ridiculous or another! This just absolutely blows!" Not that Hermione was vain or anything, she would just prefer not to be covered in icky mud.

Getting up and gazing forward, Hermione sees a small square of light off in the distance. At that moment lightning flashed revealing that it was a great manor with only a single room alight at the moment. Another bolt flashed and Hermione thought it would be a good idea to put her metal umbrella away, not that it was doing any good in the first place. Lumbering towards the light Hermione realized she really was inept at keeping her balance, turning her ankle in every little divot she came across. "I hope whoever lives there is hospitable because if they're not they'll wake to find a frozen Hermione shell on their doorstep in the morning," Hermione shivered in her melancholic musings and the fact that she was soaked through.

The square light on the first floor was slowly growing larger but at an annoyingly tedious pace. So Hermione quickened her step, this caused more falls which made more bruises, but it took less time at least. Well soon enough, if you call forty-five minuets soon, Hermione was at the weird rocky cliff thing that leads down to the manor.

Hermione squatted down to look over the ledge. "Oh, ahk!" she moaned at the height of the outlandish cliff. It seemed about fifteen feet high, but to height-phobic Hermione it seemed much much higher. Swallowing her fear and telling herself that it really wasn't as high as a small giraffe, Hermione eased herself onto the slick rocks.

&&

It's been three years since he'd seen her face, swam in the depths of her eyes, or savored her disposition and strength. He had only discovered her true character in the few moments before he lost her.

_-------flashback-------_

_Her screams scraped the inside of his heart. He thought they were just going to kill her nice and quick, this crucio crap was taking it too far. He yelled across the spacious room to get his aunt to stop but he couldn't be heard over Hermione's shrieks of anguish. Her cries fueled him; he never thought that stubborn girl in school could ever be broken; she had infinite amounts of inner strength that she valued and channeled to the weakened around her. _

_Gaining whatever gumption remained in his pathetic being, he ran to her kneeling form his cloak billowing behind him. Descending and hiding them both under his long cloak, Draco absorbed Bellatrix's wrath. He landed upon his knees with arms to both of her sides which resulted in them being nose to nose. In seconds Hermione, shaking in the aftermath of the curse, altruistically wrapped her arms around his torso holding him to her frail body whispering small comforts to him, hidden to the room via Draco's cloak. _

_It took quite a bit of time for Bellatrix to realize who she was cursing, the crazy bint. As she stopped the entire room fell silent in shock and then into an uproar of commotion at Draco's insolence. Draco took advantage of this and spoke his peace to Hermione. _

_"I'm so sorry…for everything…ever…" he gasped._

_"I forgive you…not all your…fault…" Breathing was hard for her let alone talking. _

_"Not right... this…I want…better…"_

_"…I'll help you…doesn't have to be…like this…" She believed him; the sincerity in his eyes was real. _

_"Thank you…and…I'm sorry…"_

_"For …what?"_

_"For…whatever happens…to us next because…of what I did."_

_"We'll…fight it…together…"_

_Just then Draco was torn away from Hermione. They were both dragged before the Dark Lord. It wasn't hard to decipher that he was plotting the torture for Draco's act. After a long pause, Lord Voldemort grinned sinisterly before his evil laugh. Enunciating a harsh language and flicking his wand towards Hermione a deep red light erupted from his wand and hit Hermione in the head. As she fell to the cold floor she disappeared. Her screams echoing through his soul…_

_-------end flashback-------_

But Hermione didn't scream when the Dark Lord struck her. The scream was coming from out front. Draco collected himself from the chair and hurried to see who it was that shrieked.

&&

'So far so good' Hermione thought as she slowly scaled the rocky cliff. She had managed to go down at least three feet without falling. The next step was a doozy, it was further down and a tad too far to her right. She bent her knees in anticipation of the slight hop it would take to get to the rock. 'Whoever lives here better be friendly for all this work I'm doing just to get to their stupid house,' Hermione frustratingly thought. On the count of three she jumped over to the next rock. Slipping slightly, she landed without incident. "Hah! Take that slippery rock!" Hermione boasted. The next moment, because fate likes to screw with people's lives, a lightning bolt struck the edge of the cliff not far from Hermione. Shrieking, she lost grip of the slick rock and fell down the jagged wall for twelve feet bumping, breaking, scratching, and tearing every bit of her as she falls. Landing was the most painful because it ended the odd tingly numbness she had while falling. Opening her eyes with blurred vision, she sees a large shadow emerging from the house. "Help me," she murmurs as the figure nears.

The figure gasps and gruffly whispers her name. She gazes toward his face wondering how this person knew her, but all she could see was fuzzy shadows. Feeling a gloved hand push her hair away from her face, she repeats her request, "Help me, please…" The stranger glances her up and down to assess her damage she assumed. He spoke then.

"Hermione, do you want to come with me? I will take care of you, but I need you to consent to coming with me just because it's me, not only because of your injuries."

That seemed rather specific to Hermione. Whatever, she figures he appears nice and her body burns like hell, so she decides to take a leap of faith.

"Please take me with you; I want to go with you, please…."

She slowly passed out with her plea. Draco scooped up this delicate girl with a smile to his cursed face. He found her. Actually, he had lost hope these past months and here she was finding him instead. He promised to heal her and he would. He will take care of her from now on. They will triumph this curse together and then set the wizarding world right, together. Just like she said all those years ago, they will fight this together.

**A/N: You like? Let me know please…**


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